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This import risk analysis finalises a proposal from Japan for market access to Australia for fresh unshu mandarin fruit from the Shizuoka Prefecture.

Australia has existing quarantine policy that allows the importation of various citrus fruits from Israel, New Zealand, Spain and specific states of the United States of America (Arizona, California, Texas) for human consumption. There is no policy that exists for the importation of unshu mandarin fruit into Australia.

This final report recommends that the importation of fresh unshu mandarin fruit (Citrus unshiu Marcow.) to Australia from four designated export areas in the Shizuoka Prefecture be permitted, subject to specific quarantine conditions.

This import policy allows fruit from four designated export areas surveyed for over 40 years and found free of citrus canker. However, as these areas are located in a production area where there is the potential for low pest prevalence, measures are required. The conditions include a requirement that the designated export areas are surveyed at least twice a year and found free from citrus canker.

The recommended quarantine measures are a combination of risk management measures and an operational system that will reduce the risk associated with the importation of fresh unshu mandarin fruit from four designated export areas (Areas 1–4) near Fujieda City, Shizuoka Prefecture, into Australia to a very low level consistent with Australia’s ALOP, specifically:

a supporting operational system to maintain and verify the phytosanitary status of consignments. The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) will verify that the recommended phytosanitary measures have occurred and will be present to pre-clear consignments prior to export.

Japan is to immediately notify AQIS of any changes to the current distribution of citrus greening outside of the export areas and the current movement restrictions for its host commodities.

Citrus rust thrips has been identified as a quarantine pest for Western Australia, western flower thrips has been identified as a quarantine pest for Tasmania and the Northern Territory and melon thrips has been identified as a quarantine pest for Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. The recommended quarantine measures take account of these regional differences.

1 Introduction

1.1 Australia’s biosecurity policy framework

Australia's biosecurity policies aim to protect Australia against the risks that may arise from exotic pests1 entering, establishing and spreading in Australia, thereby threatening Australia's unique flora and fauna, as well as those agricultural industries that are relatively free from serious pests.

The import risk analysis (IRA) process is an important part of Australia's biosecurity policies. It enables the Australian Government to formally consider the risks that could be associated with proposals to import new products into Australia. If the risks are found to exceed Australia’s appropriate level of protection (ALOP), risk management measures are proposed to reduce the risks to an acceptable level. But, if it is not possible to reduce the risks to an acceptable level, then no trade will be allowed.

Successive Australian Governments have maintained a conservative, but not a zero risk, approach to the management of biosecurity risks. This approach is expressed in terms of Australia's ALOP, which reflects community expectations through government policy and is currently described as providing a high level of protection aimed at reducing risk to a very low level, but not to zero.

Australia’s IRAs are undertaken by Biosecurity Australia using teams of technical and scientific experts in relevant fields, and involves consultation with stakeholders at various stages during the process. Biosecurity Australia provides recommendations for animal and plant quarantine policy to Australia’s Director of Animal and Plant Quarantine (the Secretary of the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry). The Director, or delegate, is responsible for determining whether or not an importation can be permitted under the Quarantine Act 1908, and if so, under what conditions. The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) is responsible for implementing appropriate risk management measures.

More information about Australia’s biosecurity framework is provided in Appendix C of this report and in the Import Risk Analysis Handbook 2007 located on the Biosecurity Australia website www.biosecurityaustralia.gov.au.

1.2 This import risk analysis

1.2.1 Background

In 1989, Japan indicated that it wished to send fresh unshu mandarin fruit, Citrus unshiu Marcow., to Australia and subsequently provided pest lists in 1990 and 1992. In 1998, Japan advised that access for fresh unshu mandarin was their next priority after fuji apple (Malus pumila Miller var. domestica Schneider), for which Japan gained access from the Aomori Prefecture into Australia in December 1998.

In a letter in March 2001, Japan proposed to export fresh unshu mandarin fruit from the whole of the Shizuoka Prefecture. Following Japan’s letter in March 2001, Biosecurity Australia issued a Plant Biosecurity policy memorandum (PBPM 2001/05) advising stakeholders of Japan’s import proposal for fresh unshu mandarin fruit from the whole of the Shizuoka Prefecture into Australia.

On 29 January 2002 (PBPM 2002/03), stakeholders were advised of the commencement of an IRA for the importation of fresh unshu mandarin fruit from Japan. This was followed by the release of a technical issues paper for this IRA (PBPM 2002/49) on 6 December 2002, in which stakeholders were invited to provide comments on the background to the IRA and preliminary results of pest categorisation. Comments made by stakeholders on the technical issues paper were considered and, where appropriate, incorporated into the draft IRA report (July 2008). Copies of the relevant memoranda are available on the Biosecurity Australia website www.biosecurityaustralia.gov.au.

In December 2003, following stakeholder comments on the technical issues paper and further discussions with Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) on the incidence of citrus canker within the Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan limited its proposal to four smaller designated export areas (Area 1–4) near Fujieda City within the Shizuoka Prefecture on Honshu Island. Fruit from these areas is exported to phytosanitary markets, including the USA and New Zealand which impose phytosanitary conditions for citrus canker. However, the designated export areas (Area 1–4) near Fujieda City have been monitored for citrus canker since export to the United States of America (USA) commenced in 1968 and have had no incidence of citrus canker during this period.

Officers from Biosecurity Australia observed the production of unshu mandarin in the designated export areas near Fujieda City in June 2006. In July 2007, officers from Biosecurity Australia visited the designated export areas to verify the commercial production practices, and the local packing house where fruit from the export areas is packed.

A draft IRA report was issued in July 2008 for stakeholder comment. Comments received were considered and, where appropriate, incorporated into the provisional final IRA report.

Scope

This report assesses the biosecurity risks associated with the importation into Australia of individual fresh unshu mandarin (Citrus unshiu) fruit, with all other vegetative parts removed, from the production area near Fujieda City, in the Shizuoka Prefecture, as described in Chapter 3. This production area includes the four designated areas from which fresh unshu mandarin fruit is currently exported with phytosanitary conditions to the USA and New Zealand (Figures 3.1 and 3.2).

The unrestricted risk for the identified quarantine pests is assessed for the production area, taking into account commercial production practices. Phytosanitary conditions for the export of fresh unshu mandarin fruit to the USA and New Zealand were not considered when assessing the unrestricted risk.

Export volumes to Australia are expected to be small, as the total area of the designated export areas (Areas 1–4) consists of only about 25 hectares. Export volumes of fresh unshu mandarin fruit to the USA from these designated export areas averaged a total of 230 tonnes per annum between 1995 and 2005 (APHIS 2006). Since February 2000, small quantities of fresh unshu mandarins have also been exported from the same export areas to New Zealand. During their site visit in 2007, Biosecurity Australia officers were informed that a total production of 600 tonnes was forecasted for the 2006/07 season.

This import policy specifically relates to the assessment of the identified pests, including citrus canker, and the potential for the introduction of these pests on the fruit pathway of unshu mandarin from four designated export areas (Areas 1–4) in Japan into Australia. This policy does not represent or replace Australia’s import policy for any other citrus canker host commodities. Each future commodity import request will be assessed on its own merits.

Existing policy

International policy

Fresh mandarins/tangerines (Citrus reticulata) may be imported for human consumption into Australia from Israel, New Zealand, Spain and the USA (California, Arizona, Texas), subject to specific import conditions. Other fresh citrus fruit, including cumquat, calamondin, etrogs, grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange, pomelo, tangelo and tangor are also permitted entry into Australia from various exporting countries, subject to specific quarantine measures. Details of the current import requirements for citrus fruit are available at the AQIS Import Conditions database http://www.aqis.gov.au/icon.

Domestic arrangements

The Australian Government is responsible for regulating the movement of plants and plant products into and out of Australia. However, the state and territory governments are responsible for plant health controls within Australia. Legislation relating to resource management or plant health may be used by state and territory government agencies to control interstate movement of plants and their products.

The Australian Government announced changes to the IRA process on 18 October 2006. The new regulated process applies to all IRAs announced by Biosecurity Australia on or after the commencement of the Quarantine Amendment Regulations 2007 (No.1) on 5 September 2007.

On 12 September 2007, Biosecurity Australia announced in Biosecurity Australia Policy Memorandum (BAPM) 2007/20 the transitional arrangements for its current import proposal work program. In the memorandum, stakeholders were advised that the import proposal for fresh unshu mandarin fruit from Japan would be finalised under the regulated IRA process. It also advised that previous work or comparable steps already completed would not be repeated under the regulated process.

On 19 March 2008, Biosecurity Australia announced in Biosecurity Australia Advice (BAA) 2008/9 the formal commencement of an IRA under the regulated process to consider the proposal to import fresh unshu mandarin from Japan. It also advised that the analysis would be undertaken as a standard IRA requiring completion within 24 months. The IRA process is described in the Import Risk Analysis Handbook 2007.

Stakeholders were also advised that although the regulations allow a timeframe of 24 months to complete a standard IRA, in view of the significant body of work already undertaken, a draft IRA report was expected to be released by 30 July 2008.

Contaminating pests

In addition to the pests of fresh unshu mandarin from designated export areas (Areas 1–4) near Fujieda City that are identified in this IRA, there are other organisms that may arrive with the fruit. These organisms could include pests of other crops or predators and parasitoids of other arthropods. Biosecurity Australia considers these organisms to be contaminating pests that could pose sanitary and phytosanitary risks. These risks are addressed by standard operating procedures.

Consultation

In August 2002, Biosecurity Australia released a technical issues paper for stakeholder consideration containing the background to this IRA and the categorisation of identified pests (BA 2002). Comments were received from five stakeholders and were incorporated into the draft IRA report (July 2008), where appropriate.

Comments were received from nine stakeholders on the draft IRA report. These were also considered and, where appropriate, were incorporated into the provisional final IRA report.

Method for pest risk analysis

In accordance with the International Plant Protection Convention, the technical component of a plant IRA is termed a ‘pest risk analysis’ (PRA). Biosecurity Australia has conducted this PRA in accordance with the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs), including ISPM 2: Framework for Pest Risk Analysis (FAO 2007) and ISPM 11: Pest Risk Analysis for Quarantine Pests, including analysis of environmental risks and living modified organisms (FAO 2004).

A PRA is ‘the process of evaluating biological or other scientific and economic evidence to determine whether a pest should be regulated and the strength of any phytosanitary measures to be taken against it’ (FAO 2008). A pest is ‘any species, strain or biotype of plant, animal, or pathogenic agent injurious to plants or plant products’ (FAO 2008).

Quarantine risk consists of two major components, the probability of a pest entering, establishing and spreading in Australia from imports and the consequences should this happen. These two components are combined to give an overall estimate of the risk.

Unrestricted risk is estimated taking into account the existing commercial production practices of the exporting country and that minimal on arrival verification procedures will apply. Restricted risk is estimated with phytosanitary measure(s) applied. A phytosanitary measure is ‘any legislation, regulation or official procedure having the purpose to prevent the introduction and spread of quarantine pests, or to limit the economic impact of regulated non-quarantine pests’ (FAO 2008).

A glossary of the terms used is provided at the back of this IRA report.

The PRA was conducted in the following three consecutive stages.

2.1 Stage 1: Initiation

Initiation identifies the pest(s) and pathway(s) that are of quarantine concern and should be considered for risk analysis in relation to the identified PRA area.

The initiation point for this PRA was the receipt of a technical submission from the National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO) for access to the Australian market for the commodity. This submission included information on the pests associated with the production of the commodity, including the plant part affected, and the existing commercial production practices for the commodity.

The pests associated with the crop and the exported commodity were tabulated from information provided by the NPPO of the exporting country, literature and database searches, and evidence that the pest is likely to infest or infect the commodity. This information is set out in Appendix A.

For this PRA, the ‘PRA area’ is defined as Australia for pests that are absent, or of limited distribution and under official control. For areas with regional freedom from a pest, the ‘PRA area’ may be defined on the basis of a state or territory of Australia or may be defined as a region of Australia consisting of parts of a state or territory or several states or territories.

For pests that had been considered by Biosecurity Australia in other risk assessments and for which import policies already exist, a judgement was made on the likelihood of entry of pests on the commodity and whether existing policy is adequate to manage the risks associated with its import. This judgement was based on ISPM 11 (FAO 2004) and included an assessment of the biology of the pest, environmental conditions and any significant differences between the pathways for entry. Where appropriate, the previous policy has been adopted.

A pest risk assessment (for quarantine pests) is: ‘the evaluation of the probability of the introduction and spread of a pest and of the likelihood of associated potential economic consequences’ (FAO 2008).

In this PRA, pest risk assessment was divided into the following interrelated processes:

2.2.1 Pest categorisation

Pest categorisation identifies which of the pests identified in Stage 1 require a pest risk assessment. The categorisation process examines, for each pest, whether the criteria in the definition for a quarantine pest are satisfied. A ‘quarantine pest’ is a pest of potential economic importance to the area endangered thereby and not yet present there, or present but not widely distributed and being officially controlled, as defined in ISPM 5: Glossary of phytosanitary terms (FAO 2008).

The pests identified in Stage 1 were categorised using the following primary elements to identify the quarantine pests for the commodity being assessed:

The results of pest categorisation are set out in Appendix A. The quarantine pests identified during pest categorisation were carried forward for pest risk assessment and are listed in Table 4.1.

2.2.2 Assessment of the probability of entry, establishment and spread

Details of how to assess the ‘probability of entry’, ‘probability of establishment’ and ‘probability of spread’ of a pest are given in ISPM 11 (FAO 2004). A summary of this process is given below, followed by a description of the qualitative methodology used in this IRA.